Volunteers needed

Citizens Advice South Hams seeks volunteers as cost-of-living crisis hits local community

Citizens Advice South Hams is calling for volunteers of all backgrounds to deliver advice and support to local people as the mounting pressures of the cost of living crisis see more and more people coming to them for help.

The charity is launching a fresh appeal for new recruits who can give one day a week to help people struggling with energy bills, benefit claims and entitlements, housing and debt issues.

Last year this local charity supported thousands of local people. But it can only do this work thanks to its team of highly trained and empathetic volunteers.

The charity says no experience is necessary as full training is provided, but IT confidence is essential.

Janie Moor, Chief Officer at Citizens Advice South Hams says:

“We’re putting a call out for local people to come forward to help during this cost of living crisis. We know that our advice makes a meaningful difference to people’s lives; and we know that our volunteers get a tremendous amount back from volunteering – be it enjoying the camaraderie of working in a team, learning new skills or campaigning on issues that are important to them. Come and join our team.”

Pauline, Gateway Assessor at Citizens Advice South Hams has volunteered for the past eight years. She said:

“I’ve been a volunteer for many years now – and it continues to be a positive and ongoing learning experience. You get a sense of satisfaction from providing advice and help to people to solve their problems as well as being part of an energetic and supportive team. I would definitely recommend the role.”

Citizens Advice volunteers come from all walks of life, and they volunteer for a variety of reasons – getting back into work after a career break, those with part-time jobs, carers and people who have retired.  The new, interactive training programme provides trainees with the skills, knowledge and confidence to advise people on their rights and responsibilities.

The next training course runs in the mornings for eight weeks starting Tuesday 24 May 2022 and is a mixture of online and in person training at our office in Totnes.  Trainees need to commit to another half-day training each week.  There are opportunities for remote volunteering once training is complete.

To find out more and apply, visit www.southhamscab.org.uk or contact reception@southhamscab.org.uk.